What Delta variant? Sturgis biker rally expects massive crowds as event revs back into action in South Dakota despite coronavirus fears
- The 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota was blamed for a spike in Covid-19 cases, yet this year’s rally is expected to attract 700,000 motorcycle fans
- ‘You cannot stop it. I feel completely powerless,’ one local says. But city and state officials have embraced the event, which will boost tourism revenue
Bikers have been rumbling their way towards South Dakota’s Black Hills this week, raising fears that Covid-19 infections will be unleashed among the 700,000 people expected to show up at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the Midwestern US state.
The rally, which starts on Friday, has become a haven for those eager to escape coronavirus precautions. Last year, the event hardly slowed down, with roughly 460,000 people attending. Masks were mostly ditched as bikers crowded into bars, tattoo parlours and rock shows, offering a lesson in how massive gatherings could spread waves of the virus across the United States.
This year – the 81st iteration of the 10-day rally – is expected to be even bigger, drawing people from around the US and beyond, despite concerns about the virus’ highly contagious delta variant.
“It’s great to see a party of hundreds of thousands of people,” said Zoltan Vari, a rallygoer who was settling into his campsite on Tuesday after making the trek from Hungary.
He was eager to return to riding a Harley-Davidson through the Black Hills after missing last year. Vári evaded US tourism travel restrictions on Europe by spending two weeks in Costa Rica before making his way to South Dakota. He hopes one million people will show up. Typical attendance is around a half a million.
